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To prepare green beans: wash in cold running water. One end of the bean may have a stalk on it, slice this off but leave the other delicate end intact – this will cook like the rest of the bean and looks much better for presentation.

To boil: place a large saucepan of boiling water onto the hob, add the green beans and cook for 3–5 minutes (5 minutes for thicker beans, 3 minutes for thinner fine beans). To check they are cooked remove a bean from the water, allow to cool slightly and taste to check it is cooked through, it should have a ‘bite’ and should be vibrant green. Drain the remaining beans and serve.

To blanch and refresh: place a large saucepan of boiling water onto the hob. Prepare a large bowl of cold water with a few handfuls of ice in it. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 2–4 minutes (4 minutes for thicker beans and 2 minutes for thinner fine beans). Drain the beans and then immediately plunge them into the ice-cold water to stop any residual cooking. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the beans are completely cold. Remove from the ice water and lay onto a clean tea towel and dry. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This method stops the beans from overcooking and locks in the bright green colour. You can also freeze the beans after blanching and refreshing them, store in an airtight container and in the freezer for up to 3 months (this is useful for gardeners with a glut of green beans).

To reheat beans after blanching and refreshing: either drop into a large saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds to heat through, or heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add a tablespoon butter and a handful of beans and allow the beans to heat in the butter. Season and serve.